FEDERAL WAY, WASH.–The Whitworth men and women continue to lead the team standings following day three of competition at the 2025 Northwest Conference Swimming Championships, held at Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center.
The Whitworth men currently sit on top with a total of 564.5 points, with the Puget Sound Loggers sitting in second at 353.5 points. In third are the Whitman Blues (259), followed by Lewis & Clark (247), Linfield (240), Pacific Lutheran (178), Willamette (152), George Fox (134), and Pacific (11). On the women’s side, the Whitworth Pirates hold the first position a total of 449 points, with the Whitman Blues close behind in second with 397 points. In third place are the Puget Sound Loggers (273), followed by Linfield (271), Willamette (224), Pacific Lutheran (164), George Fox (158), Lewis & Clark (154), and Pacific (108).
Claiming victory in the first race of the night were the Whitworth Pirates– placing first in both the men’s and women’s 400 individual medley and both defending their 2024 championship titles. Samuel Draeger posted a time of 4:07.04 to claim the gold, while Isabella Hoopes outswam the competition in the event with a time of 4:29.83.
Lewis & Clark men dominated the 100 fly, claiming both first and second place. Junior Ezra Billings took home the gold with a time of 49.25. His teammate Micah Rysavy finished close behind with a time of 49.55. In the women’s 100 fly, Linfield’s Sarah Arpag claimed victory with a final time of 56.99.
Sophomore Parker Dangleis of the Whitworth Pirates took home gold in the 200 free, posting a time of 1:41.00. The Whitman women dominated the 200 free and gave their competition the blues– Anneliese Hanson earned first place (1:54.68), while teammate Avery Riley placed second (1:54.69).
The Whitman women also took home both gold and silver in the 100 breaststroke, first place going to Josephine Piel (1:05.43) and second place going to Rachel Sapper (1:05.60). For the men, Alex Popov of Whitworth claimed gold in the finals, swimming a time of 56.12.
In the 100 backstroke, Junior Sarah Arpag grabbed her second gold medal of the evening with a time of 58.45. Will Cabana of the Puget Sound Loggers posted a time of 51.23 and claimed first place in the 100 backstroke, closely followed by Willamette’s Cole Lindberg (51.53).
In the relays, the Whitworth Pirates made a strong statement in the pool. In the 200 freestyle relay, both Whitworth men’s and women’s squads outswam the competition to claim victory. The men’s quartet of Nathanael Van Liew, Mason Self, Ty Patterson, and Parker Dangleis posted the gold medal time of 1:23.21. The women’s quartet of Ella Schoenfelder, Julia Schoenfelder, Grace Esteban, and Jillian Larrabee won the relay with a time of 1:37.13.
The Whitworth men’s squad (Samuel Draeger, Alex Popov, Henry Brewster, and Nathanael Van Liew) claimed victory in the 200 medley (1:31.54), followed closely by the Puget Sound Loggers (1:31.97). The Whitman Blues women’s squad (Frances Lenz, Rachel Sapper, Avery Riley, and Shaye Agnew) edged out the competition in the 200 medley relay (1:48.04), just a hair ahead of the Whitworth Pirates (1:48.05).
Prelims for the final day of competition start at 9:30 am, and finals will be broadcast at 4pm. All events at the NWC Swimming Championships can be streamed at https://nwcnetwork.tv/.